Unexpected Explanations
by SammieLynnsMom
Summary: Bella was forced out of LA when she was 12. Now back nearly a decade later helping her uncle make sense of clerical issues in his office, Bella meets someone who catches her attention. What happens when the reason she left comes back to haunt her?


**Unexpected Explanations  
**Image #40  
Word Count: 3995  
Rating: M- This story contains a mild lemon, dark content, talks of murder, and the mention of rape. There is no graphic details of the actual event, but it is talked about.

Summary: Bella Swan was forced out of LA when she was 12. Now back nearly a decade later helping her uncle make sense of clerical issues in his office, Bella meets someone who catches her attention. But what happens when the reason she left comes back to haunt her?

* * *

As I stepped off the plane at LAX, it all came back in a rush. The smell, the people, the attitude in the air. I had escaped this place nearly a decade ago, but now I was back.

My uncle, Aro Vulturi, had called a week ago to explain a clerical error he had found in his company. From a young age, I was always fascinated by paperwork. It wasn't your average obsession, but organization, filing, and alphabetizing were just my thing. As a child I'd spend hours at his feet sorting through his important papers, filing and putting packets together. When he called, I knew it was bad. He assured me I was only needed for a few days and he was also flying in my best-friend, Jasper.

Well, Jasper and I weren't really best-friends anymore. Once I moved away from Los Angeles we lost contact, but with the boom of social networking we had recently reconnected. I still trusted him though and I think that was the angle my uncle was pulling for.

A man at baggage claim held a sign with my name, "Swan". I rolled my eyes. I had every intention of hailing a cab, but no, Aro hired a car. The man took my baggage and lead the way.

Once I was situated in the backseat of the hired limo, I yanked out my cell phone. A few brief calls to my parents, both assuring them I had arrived in tact, lead me to my last phone call, Jasper. I told him I was about twenty minutes away from the main office and had hoped he would meet me out front. I hadn't been to this building in years, but knowing my uncle very little would have changed. Aro was anal retentive on routine.

I spotted Jasper before he saw me.

"Hey dork," I rushed up to give him a hug. Although we hadn't seen each other in years, I was excited to reconnect with him. He was always like a big brother to me. I had missed him when I moved.

My mother, Renee, was obsessed with fame. When I was two she left my dad to move out to LA. The next thing I knew I was signed up for dance, gymnastics, vocal lessons, and acting lessons. She quickly turned me into a pageant princess. If there was a competition, I was in it.

That was how I met Jasper. From the time we were four to eleven we were dance partners. My mom had me proficient in ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, and ballroom.

At the height of our "spotlight time" we had a trophy or ribbon for every day of any one year.

At the time I was a push over. When my dad would call and ask me if I was happy I'd say yes. I knew my mother wasn't going to give up; she wanted me to be everything she wasn't. Renee had always wanted to be somebody, but in her mind she was nobody. So in her place, she pushed me to be somebody.

Instead she got her worst nightmare.

"I'm so glad you're here," he squeezed me in a hug before leading me inside.

The first level of my uncle's building was much the same, but Jasper told me he finally got him to re-do the basement into an open work area.

When the elevator opened up it looked more like a gym turned office, but I didn't comment.

I noticed two other people working in the vicinity as Jasper pointed to the room where my uncle was housing all the paperwork he needed sorting through.

Upon walking up to the desk area I was bombarded by the littlest black haired girl I've ever seen.

"You must be Bella! Jasper had told me all about you, I've been so excited to meet you." She was practically bouncing in front of me and I just raised my eyebrows at Jasper.

"Bella, this is my girlfriend, Alice Brandon. The moody guy still sitting at the desk is Edward Cullen." He gestured to where a young man, probably close in my age, sat. His green eyes pulled me in as a I stared, while he smirked.

"Bella," he spoke as he stood up and extended his arm.

I shook my head out of the cloud I was in and locked myself in the room my uncle had assigned me.

As much as I was happy to see Jasper and to get to know his new friends, I was more focused on getting out of LA as quickly as possible. I knew no good would come of me visiting.

Several hours later Jasper knocked on the door to let me know they were all going to dinner and urged me to close up shop.

"Bella you look ridiculous," Jasper snickered as I shot him a death glare.

"When did the secretary and the accountant quit? Seriously, half of these papers are over six months old! I'm gonna be drowning in this stuff for days, if not weeks!" I huffed while tossing a few pieces of paper into the air for effect.

He chuckled and shut the door.

I organized the last few pieces of paper and excited the room.

"Whoa, Bella!" Alice's eyes were wide and I realized how horrible I must really look.

As we headed outside, Jasper let me know that all three of them lived in the same house, behind a heavily guarded security guard and gate. I nodded as I called and cancelled the hotel I had originally booked.

When Jasper pulled up to the driveway of the place they called home, I was impressed. Not only was it huge, but it appeared to be well kept. I asked Jasper about staff, but he said no.

"There is a room down the hall, that's yours." He pointed and I nodded.

Once inside, I quickly showered in the adjoining bathroom before getting dressed for dinner.

When I finally made it out to the common area, I noticed Jasper's face was paler than normal as he finished up a hushed conversation on his phone.

When he hung up I asked if everything was all right, but Jasper asked if I had been talking to Rosalie Hale lately. It'd been a few years since I saw her, but apparently her brother got word that i was back in town and she was passing on the alert that I needed to keep my heads up. I shrugged it off and we left for dinner.

Throughout the night I stayed more alert than normal, but really James Hunter didn't scare me. Dinner passed by without incident and we managed to get back to the house in one piece.

Jasper and Alice quickly excused themselves for bed, leaving Edward and I alone in the living room.

"So what do you do for fun?" I asked. Edward was quiet all through dinner. Apparently Alice scouted local bands and entertainment and Edward wrote up the reviews and prospects for my uncle. Jasper managed the two of them and I wondered how in the hell they got such cake jobs.

"I uh read and play the piano sometimes. I really like music." He stumbled through his answer. I didn't know why, but I found his quietness adorable.

"I read, too. I was just gonna sit on the couch and read for a while if you wanted to hang out." He nodded and I dove into my newest bookstore pick-up, _The Hunger Games_.

The next few days passed in the same fashion.

We'd all head into the office in the morning, but instead of locking myself behind a closed door I found the open office "gym area", as I had begin calling it, made a better place to organize.

Jasper and I would go back and forth telling embarrassing stories while Alice would laugh and Edward would smirk. Each day I seemed to fit in with them more.

When I finished the last folder of the night, I looked up to see Jasper and Alice had left. Since Edward and I were the "odd people out" we were commonly left alone together. We spent some time getting to know each other, but most of the time did silent work near each other.

That night Edward asked me to dinner, clarified as a date, and I accepted.

We decided on PF Changs since we didn't have one where I lived, but already heard amazing things.

"So what's your story Bella?" he questioned with the same smirk that had been making my heart pound since I got here.

"I don't know. Born to parents who couldn't make it work. Lived with a mother that excepted more out of me then I could give. Things happened and I went to live with my dad. Followed a normal, but boring life from then on. Just graduated from college and had planned on job hunting until my uncle called me down here." I shrugged; in a nutshell, that was the story of my life.

"How about you? What really goes on behind those green eyes of yours?" I pushed.

"About the same. Born to parents that expected me to follow in my father's footsteps. He's a surgeon and the idea of medicine makes me wanna sleep. I love music so I came out here to pursue it. In the end, I found a decent job with friends I love."

"Huh," was all I replied, because his answer caught me by surprise.

"Why did you leave LA the first time?"

I just shook my head, that was not a story for tonight.

Edward dropped the subject and we went on to discuss our favorite color, books, politics, food and on and on.

When we got back to the house, Jasper and Alice were no where to be found, so we decided to lounge out on the deck.

I'd spent no time out there before, and was surprised to find the house sat on the edge of a small lake. I loved water and always tended to gravitate towards it.

As I started to get comfortable on a lounge chair at the edge of the deck, Edward showed up with a few cocktails. He went to hand me one, but instead I pulled him down to me. It took some maneuvering, but we eventually found a comfortable snuggling position as we overlooked the water. The light from the stars reflected on the tiny ripples of water.

"This is nice," Edward sighed and I hummed in response.

When I chanced a look up I saw a smoldering look in Edward's eyes. His lips crashed into mine as I pushed around so that I was facing him. Our hands seemed to take over as we both clawed and pulled at any fabric in our way.

Within minutes we were completely naked and Edward had me pinned underneath him. He didn't need to ask me for my permission, he knew he had it. A foil package later, his cock was sheathed between my walls.

"Fuck..." I cursed out. Edward was on the larger side of normal, I didn't need to see it to know it, and it had been a while since I had been with someone.

"So warm, so tight...Bella..." his hot heavy breathes sent shivers down my body as our hips pushed and pulled, connected and pounded.

It didn't take long for either of us to reach our peek and I vaguely remember Edward asking which room I wanted to go to. Like that was a hard decision.

When I woke up in Edward's arms, I knew it was going to be a bad day.

First, the coffee pot stopped working then my blow dryer wouldn't turn on. The outfit I wanted to wear wasn't dry so I was forced to dress up, and when I got to the office, Alice kept hounding me about the walls of the former basement.

It was "rumored" that my uncle stored all of my old trophies, pictures, ribbons, sashes, news clippings...etc. When he decided to have the area renovated he had a few glass cases hand made to protect it all, but when he decided to renovate it the glass was covered by the walls now seen in the basement. The rumor was that I knew the combination that would raise the wall, the truth was I didn't know anything of it. Alice showed me where the keypad was and after hours of pushing I finally relented.

"Fine! I'll push in one code, if it's not it I can't help you," I huffed and took off for the touch pad.

"_Now Bella, if a stranger ever comes to pick you up they have to know this code, okay?" My uncle pressed. "It's I-L-O-V-E-0-9-22-y-o-u-8-9-m-o-r-e-7-3-1. Can you remember that?"_

_I nodded and the next day when I man came to pick me up from school he told me the code and I knew I was safe. _

It had taken me so long to remember the code that even fifteen years later I knew it like the back of my hand. When I hit the last button we all heard a pop as one of the walls began raising up. Lights flashed on and the horrors of my childhood were staring at me.

I stayed back while Alice ran up to inspect and Edward lingered. We hadn't spoken much since last night. We'd catch each other staring at the other, but didn't know how to proceed with Jasper and Alice so close.

"You were a cute kid," Edward smiled and I pushed his shoulder.

"I was an over-sexualized porcelain doll, but thanks." I snapped back.

Edward took a sharp input of breathe before I realized what I said. I shrugged and went back to my office to grab another box worth of papers to bring out.

I heard them through the doors before I saw him. I had never met James in real life before, but since he was a spitting image of his father, I didn't need to in order to know who he was.

"So it's true, the Ice Princess has come back to play has she." James sneered at me and something inside of me clicked. A long lost personality I hadn't needed in so many years bubbled to the surface.

Towards the end of my "career" as a stage child I started to grow more resentful. People who tell me that when I'd get so annoyed and frustrated my eyes would turn blue and my attitude froze like ice. Thus making me _"Ice Princess"._

My eyes closed for a brief second and I knew when Alice gasped she saw. My normal brown eyes, I was sure, were turning icy blue.

"You look just like him. Tell me, do you still visit him? Will you send my best wishes next time you do?" I snapped back, a vindictive smirk on my face.

"So what's the going rate these days?" James asked as he used the closest table to lean on with one arm. I think he was trying to look like a bad ass, but I just wanted to laugh.

"I'd be willing to give you your daddy's special if you'd like. On the house," my body mimicking his as I positioned my face mere inches from his.

"No, I'd rather have the prize at the end." His breathe in my face smelled like old tobacco and whiskey. _Yup, just like his father. _

"Really? I didn't think I'd appeal to you anymore-age of consent and all."

James growled at me and I knew I had struck a nerve.

"Remind me exactly," I asked as I moved my face closer to his and lowered my voice down just a hair, "Exactly how old were you again, when you started sleeping with your sister?"

James went to strike me, but Jasper had him pinned in a second.

"Touchy, touchy. Like father like son?" I was in no mood for games.

"If I could tie you down and flog you, I would. I'd love to train your ass-by the time I was done, all I'd hear is 'Yes, sir', coming from your filthy mouth."

I rolled my eyes, of course James would think he was some Dom.

However, I couldn't give up this opportunity to play so I jumped onto the table and began swinging my boot covered feet asking for more details.

James went on to describe a detailed scene where I'd be suspended into air while he used various forms of torture. I didn't know much about the BDSM world, but I knew a few people who did. James informed me that he had me begged for a masochist, so he's make my ever lasting fantasy come true. I scoffed internally. My facial expressions shifted from intrigued to ghostly white when I saw my uncle appear.

James missed his entrance all together and I knew my acting lessons had paid off when my uncle cleared his throat to get James' attention, throwing a murderous look his way.

"Uncle Aro, I thought your security was better than this. Did you hear him? He wants to flog me. Isn't that some sort of African Voodoo torture or something? Do people actual do that sort of thing?" I tried keeping my expression as innocent as possible.

My uncle expected an immediately apology and James' removal from his building.

One thing James didn't know was that my uncle was a closet Dom on the weekends. He thought my family didn't know, but we did. So the picture James painted of me on the other end of a flogger hit a little too close to home.

As my uncle started to leave, he promised that if James wasn't gone in five minutes he would never find work on the west coast again.

Once my uncle was out of eye shot I walked back up to him and whispered every so lightly, "I'm not a Masochist James, but I am vindictive as hell."

"I hope your plane doesn't crash," I chuckled and turned away.

"You stupid bitch," he sneered low enough for my uncle not to hear.

I spun around.

"Hey, don't insult my intelligence."

"Go to Hell."

"Save me a seat?" I quirked an eyebrow before turning around again walking into my temporary office.

After a few minutes of cooling down later I walked out to three very stunned faces.

Jasper was speechless, Alice looked confused, and Edward looked like he hated me.

I sighed and mentally reminded myself this was why I didn't date.

I took off early, taking Jasper's car.

When I got back to the house I grabbed a throw pillow and blanket off the couch and made my way to the end of the deck, choosing the wooden platform instead of a lounge chair.

The sun had begun setting by the time I heard any noises coming from the house. I just continued to lay on the deck staring out at the water.

I didn't even hear his footsteps before Edward came out to sit next to me.

After at least ten minutes of silence I told him to just spit it out.

"I heard a rumor," his voice small.

"What did I tell ya'll about rumors?" I rolled my eyes.

"You killed someone." And there it was.

"Well not everything you hear is a rumor."

"So it's true?" he questioned. I looked at him and I knew I shouldn't because his expression wasn't kind, but I nodded.

"It's why he, uh James, referred to me as 'Ice'. I was twelve when I shot his dad."

"How did it happen?"

I shook my head signaling that I couldn't answer that, but I began reliving the memory.

_My mom had gone out with my uncle, Caius, to some gambling adults only party I didn't know much about. It was the first time Renee had agreed to leave me alone since I had just turned twelve. _

_As soon as the door shut I armed the security system and went to my room to finish up some work for school. _

_About an hour later everything just felt wrong. I didn't know what, it just did. _

_I decided to move rooms to a guest bedroom a few doors down, but not before grabbing the gun my mom didn't know I knew about. My dad had taught me how to shoot one during my last visit to Washington. _

_I laid it down on the nightstand and started reading again. The only difference between the room I moved to and my room was the only way in or out of the guest bedroom was the doorway. There were no windows or adjoining bathrooms._

_Not long after, I watched the security keypad go haywire as he disabled it. Then I heard him in my room. That's where he had expected to find me. By the time he found me I was positioned defensively. I was already mentally yelling at myself for grabbing a gun, but forgetting to grab a phone. Demetri Hunter never expected to open the door to the guest bedroom and come face to face with a twelve year old who felt comfortable holding a 9 mm gun to his head. _

_It took some convincing, but I finally had gotten his confession about how the entire situation was a set up. He had pre-wired money to my uncle to ensure he got my mom out of the house and made sure to give him the ability to get around the security system. _

_He was down on his knees as he begged for his life, but I choose to shoot instead. _

_The security camera in the hallway caught everything and it was ruled self defense, but not before wrecking my life and getting me shipped off to my dad's. _

"Do you regret it?" This question I dreaded most of all because it was the hardest of all to answer. I went with the truth.

"I used to, after it first happened, but now no. If I had to do it again I would."

He didn't say anything and neither did I. I wasn't sure if I should go on so I waited and when he stayed silent I decided to continue.

"James has a sister, Rosalie. Most people don't even know they're related since Rosalie was adopted and is now married. But she was Rosalie Hunter at one point in time. She came to visit me around the time I turned nineteen. She was a few years older than me and told me she was waiting until I was old enough to handle what she needed to tell me.

When she called and told me she wanted to see me I assumed I'd get screamed at. Like why did you kill him type stuff. But then she showed up and the first thing she did was hug me. I was nearly as baffled when she said thank you.

He started with touching, but then it got worse until one day he didn't stop. She told her mom, but she didn't do anything. Every night her father would sneak into her room and steal her innocence while her mother listened from the next room. James started attacking her a few years after that. And then I killed him and it all came out. Everything he did.

So she came to thank me for saving her. She was adopted and is okay now. She'll never be whole, but she's more than she would have been if he hadn't disappeared one night. I uh, I stopped feeling guilty that day."

We stayed silent for a while longer before he asked me if I knew beforehand and I said no.

"Then why? Did you just randomly kill him?" Edward's face read more confusion now. I could see in his eyes he didn't know how to feel and really I never wanted to get to this point. I didn't want the pity I knew would follow, but Edward was different. I'd never trusted or opened up to someone so quickly and maybe if I was honest, he'd think I was still worth it.

"Because he bought something that didn't belong to him."

Edward's eyebrows shot up.

"He wired my late uncle, Caius, a million dollars," I responded to his unanswered questioned.

"Caius? I've never met him before, where is he now?"

"He'd dead too." I let that answer hang.

"What did he buy, Bella?"

"My virginity."

And when I looked up, I saw the one emotion I didn't want.

_Pity. _

_**A/N~**_

_**I'm **_**SammieLynnsMom on twitter**

**I will eventually expand on this, both her life before and her life after...eventually**

**Come play with TwiFicTrivia Tuesday Nights at 9 PM EST, it's so much fun!  
**


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